The latest culture as recommended by our staff

Michael Henderson

Michael Henderson suggests


The squeeze gets tighter

Friday, 16th May 2008

Will anything break for consumers at the moment?  After the bleak news on price inflation over the past few days, data from MoneyFacts suggests not.  They've found that fixed-rate mortgage rates have hit their highest levels since the beginning of the decade, with the average rate for a two-year loan standing at 6.64 percent.  As the Telegraph points out, this means that someone who took out such a loan two years ago will have seen their monthly payments rise by £206.

The worry is that the squeeze on consumers will bleed into other areas of the economy.  I know of several SME owners who now dread the fuel expense requests that their travelling reps send in, and are distinctly trepidatious about future wage settlements.  They, like us, will be watching this space.

   Previous Back to Trading Floor   Next 

Blogs: Americano | Coffee House | Clive Davis | Melanie Phillips | Stephen Pollard

Actions: Print this article   |   Email to a friend   |   Permalink   |   Comment

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Comments

Post a comment


Your comment:*

Your name:*

Your email address:*
(We won't publish this)

*Required information

Please click the button only once - your comment will not be published immediately

The Spectator Parliamentarian Awards
Weekly update

‘These clouds will have a silver lining’

Judi Bevan 19/11/2008

Twelve steps to market meltdown

Stephen Vines 19/11/2008

Any Other Business

Martin Vander Weyer 19/11/2008

What the US Treasury needs: magician and economic genius

James Doran 12/11/2008
Spectator recommends

Book Farm and Cottage Holidays Direct

Save money on your farm and cottage holiday by booking direct with the owner. We have a range of places...


Spectator classifieds

ROME CENTRE

PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique

City Breaks. ROME and PARIS

ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit  www.romanreference.com  and  www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.

Jewellery. RUFFS (Estd. 1904).

Goldsmiths by Design Welcome to Ruffs!  You have found a company of Goldsmiths that specialises in the manufacture, amongst other